NZers with RAF killed, wounded, injured, POW first year WW2

[jcm261]

Hi guys

I am writing an article for the NZ Journal of History on RAF casualty notifications in relation to NZ members of the RAF and RNZAF members attached to the RAF during the first full year of the war, i.e., 3 September 1939 to 2 September 1940.

It's not so much on the circumstances (although that does come into it) but how the RAF communicated with families at the time of the casualty event and later when able to confirm a man's fate, presume his fate, and also advise on the form of memorialisation (burial or memorial to the missing).

As part of this, I am planning to attempt a statistical exercise on the types of casualties and how this influenced both the RAF's communications and in turn families' communications with the RAF and RNZAF. Errol Martyn's For Your Tomorrow's has been a great assistance. But I'm also after the names of any men who were reported missing but survived (for example, evaded capture, or became POWs) or badly injured (such as in training or operational accidents) or wounded in action. This could be in Europe or anywhere else while serving with the RAF. From trawling newspapers and archival references online, for non-fatal casualties I have come up with as list of 14 POWs, 1 internee, 5 reported missing and then safe, 4 wounded, and 9 injured. I wouldn't be surprised if there was more. My list (so far) is below.

If you happen to be able to add names, or you have information on casualties (including those killed or missing) that you'd like to share, or if you know of collections of records relating to casualties (such as in family hands - emphasising, I would NOT be seeking to borrow anything) then I would be interested as well. I was able to get into the AIR 81 casualty files at National Archives, London, shortly before covid, and accessed about 40 files of men and crews who were reported missing and killed; I'm using these as case studies for my article.

Regards

John Moremon

Massey University

Missing, reported POW

• Bernard, PLT OFF Robert Ian, missing, 16 May 1940, POW
• Brodie, PLT OFF Peter Gascoyne, missing, 20 Aug 1940, POW
• Edwards, FLG OFF Laurence Hugh, 5 Sep 1939, missing, POW
• Johnson, PLT OFF Theo Faire Storrier, 20 Aug 1940, missing, POW
• Kirk, PLT OFF Ian Clark, 2 Sep 1940, missing, POW
• Mabey, WO Lawrence Francis, 28 Aug 1940, missing, POW
• McKenzie, PLT OFF Robert Clifford Douglas, 8 Feb 1940, missing, POW
• McPherson, PLT OFF Robert Ian Chayne, 16 May 1940, missing, POW
• Miller, PLT OFF Leonard, 20 May 1940, missing, POW
• Milne, FLG OFF Cecil Dunn, 25 Apr 1940, missing, POW
• Murray, PLT OFF Henry Macale, 11 May 1940, missing, POW
• Nixon, FLG OFF William Maxwell, 17 Aug 1940, missing, POW
• Peryman, SGT Basil W., 11 Jun 1940, missing, POW
• Potts, PLT OFF Ian Geoffrey Gwynne, 1 Jun 1940, missing, POW
  

Missing, reported interned

• Mack, FLG OFF Arthur William, 9 Sep 1939, missing, interned (Belgium), later released
  

Missing, reported safe

• Engstrom, PLT OFF Vaughan Gothrik Welsby, 6 Jun 1940, missing, reported safe
• Fisher, FLG OFF Robert Roland Patrick, 27 May 1940, missing, reported safe
• Millen, PLT OFF Samuel James, 30 Jun 1940, missing, reported safe
• Newton, FLG OFF Kenneth Edward, 29 May 1940, missing, reported safe (later killed, 28 Jun 1940)
• Shorthouse, PLT OFF John Sidney, 13 Jun 1940, missing, reported safe
  

Wounded

• Fitzgerald, FLG OFF T.B., 14 May 1940, wounded
• Fowler, PLT OFF A.L, 1 Oct 1939, wounded
• Kain, FLG OFF Edgar James, 26 Mar 1940, wounded (later killed, 7 Jun 1940)
• Kean, PLT OFF Raymond Thomas, 3 May 1940, wounded (later killed, 5 Aug 1940)
  

Injured

• Hunt, PLT OFF L.G. (RNZAF), 5 Jul 1940, injured
• Knight, SGT Colin Beresford Knight, 27 Jul 1940, injured
• Pettit, PLT OFF Noel Carroll, 10 Jun 1940, injured
• Poulton, PLT OFF M.A., 30 Sep 1939, injured
• Sise, PLT OFF G.D. (RNZAF), 25 Aug 1940, injured
• Stephenson, PLT OFF John Oscar Lloyd, pre-Feb 1940 (date unclear), injured (later killed, 14 Aug 1940)
• Walders, PLT OFF N.W., 29 Nov 1939, injured
• Wylie, PLT OFF Clive Robinson, 17 Dec 1939, injured (later missing, killed, 16 Jun 1940)
  
• Rowe, PLT OFF Alan Carthew (RNZAF), 13 Jun 1940, injured
  

 

[fwx]

Hi John, I may be able to help and have sent you a PM - top left under "Profile".

Cheers, Chris

[errolmartyn]

Firstly, I suggest you dispense with those ‘shouty’ upper case rank abbreviations, a style of presentation not relevant to the time period under discussion. Apparently these were introduced in the 1970s with the introduction of computerised records, the problem being that disk or hard drive capacity was as the time so limited that only upper case was used. Their useage here gives the impression to the general reader that the rank is more important than anything else in each entry. Slimming them down to the likes of Plt Off is better, or if upper case must be used then P/O, not that most general readers of today will know what that even means.

Regarding Bernard and MacPherson (note, not McPherson)- these are one and the same person. He is a bit of a mystery man. Recorded as born 8 Jun 14 but not known where. Mother listed as Gladys Nellie Bernard in New Zealand electoral rolls in 1922 and 1925, but remarried and appears as Gladys Nellie Tite from 1928 roll onward.

He served with New Zealand Field Artillery (Territorial), 1932 – 1936 (as Bernard? MacPherson?). Embarked Marama for Sydney as Bernard, R. I. C. on 21 Aug 36 and then resided NSW as a fitter.

Embarked Ormonde at Sydney for England as MacPherson, R. I. C., c. Feb 1939 – disembarked Tilbury, London, 9 Mar 39. Pupil Pilot with No 7 Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School, RAF as MacPherson, R. I. C, 13 Mar – 12 May 39. Appointed to RAF Short Service Commission as 42141, 13 May 39. Transferred to RNZAF as NZ2470, as Flight Lieutenant, 1 Jul 45. To Reserve 30 Jan 46 but later 8 years with General Reserve as 132666 until at least August 1958. Died Auckland 13 Apr 2006.

Regarding the other POWs:

• Brodie, PLT OFF Peter Gascoyne, missing, 20 Aug 1940, POW (same aircraft as Johnson)
• Edwards, FLG OFF Laurence Hugh, 5 Sep 1939, missing, POW
• Johnson, PLT OFF Theo Faire Storrier, 20 Aug 1940, missing, POW (same aircraft as Brodie)
• Kirk, PLT OFF Ian Clark, 3 Sep 1940, missing, POW
• Mabey, WO Lawrence Francis, RNZAF, 28 Aug 1940, missing, POW
• McKenzie, PLT OFF Robert Clifford Douglas, 8 Feb 1940, missing, POW
• Miller, PLT OFF Leonard, 19 May 1940, missing, POW
• Milne, FLG OFF Cecil Dunn, 21 Apr (not 25) 1940, missing, POW
• Murray, PLT OFF Henry Macale (not McCale), 11 May 1940, missing, POW
• Nixon, FLG OFF William Maxwell, 17 Aug 1940, missing, POW
• Peryman, SGT Basil William, 11 Jun 1940, missing, POW
• Potts, PLT OFF Ian Geoffrey Gwynne, 1 Jun 1940, missing, POW

Missing, reported interned

Mack, FLG OFF Arthur William, 9 Sep 1939, missing, interned (Belgium), later released (not 'released' but escaped)

[errolmartyn]

Continued . . .

Missing, reported safe

Engstrom, PLT OFF Vaughan Gothrik Welsby, 6 Jun 1940, missing, reported safe
Fisher, FLG OFF Robert Roland Patrick, 27 May 1940, missing, reported safe
Millen, PLT OFF Samuel James, 30 Jun 1940, missing, reported safe (killed on air ops 16 Dec 40)
Newton, FLG OFF Kenneth Edward, 29 May 1940, missing, reported safe (later killed, 28 Jun 1940)
Shorthouse, PLT OFF John Sidney, 13 Jun 1940, missing, reported safe

Wounded

Fitzgerald, FLG OFF Thomas Bernard, 14 May 1940, wounded
Fowler, PLT OFF Alfred Lawrence, 1 Oct 1939, wounded
Kain, FLG OFF Edgar James, 26 Mar 1940, wounded (later killed, 7 Jun 1940)
Kean, PLT OFF Raymond Thomas, 3 May 1940, wounded (later killed, 5 Aug 1940)

Injured

Hunt, PLT OFF Leslie Gordon. (RAF, not RNZAF), 5 Jul 1940, injured
Knight, SGT Colin Beresford Graham, (RNZAF), 27 Jul 1940, injured
Pettit, PLT OFF Noel Carroll, 10 Jun 1940, injured
Poulton, PLT OFF Michael Arnold, 30 Sep 1939, injured
Sise, PLT OFF Gage Darwent. (RNZAF), 25 Aug 1940, injured
Stephenson, PLT OFF John Oscar Lloyd, pre-Feb 1940 (date unclear), injured (later killed, 14 Aug 1940)
Walders, PLT OFF Neville Whitford, 29 Nov 1939, injured
Wylie, PLT OFF Clive Robinson, 17 Dec 1939, injured (later missing, killed, 16 Jun 1940)
Rowe, PLT OFF Alan Carthew (RAF, not RNZAF), 13 Jun 1940, injured

Errol

[jcm261]

Thanks Errol and Chris (messaged separately)

Before anything else, I should say, Errol, I agree about the ranks. I wouldn't normally use caps, but I think I was in a different mindset at that moment; I had just been marking a pile of essays from officer cadets at OCS, Wairouru, and of course the are OCDTs. Normally, I would have used Sgt, Plt Off or P/Off, etc.

Thanks for the extra information. Really appreciated. I was struck by Ian Clark being 3 September (not 2); somewhere else, it said 2nd. But I guess if he took off on a night op it was likely still the 2nd but reported missing on the 3rd, after midnight, if you know what I mean. And as it is the missing part that's important for my study, I'll drop him from the list for the purpose of the article.

Interesting about MacPherson/Bernard. It didn't even occur to me that it could be the same person. Thanks for the info.

Strange to say, not long after posting, I came cross two others for the list:

Missing, reported safe
Flt Lt E.H.E. Cross, missing (5 Air Stores Park, sinking of SS Aboukir, off Dunkirk), 28 May 1940

Injured
Carlson, Flg Off Donald (40207), injured (in crash landing), Hurricane, 16 May 1940

John

[errolmartyn]

RAF medical man Cross was Edward Henry Eustace Cross. You can find some newspaper items about him on PapersPast when searching the phrase E. H. E. Cross. He apparently knew Cobber Kain quite well.

Cheers,
Errol